Ten Reasons
by mugglelady
Summary: Ten reasons Zane Donovan knew he was in love with Jo Lupo and ten reasons Jo Lupo knew she was in love with Zane Donovan.
1. Zane

**Ten reasons Zane Donovan knows he is in love with Jo Lupo:**

When he closes his eyes, he sees only her. The way she looks in her all-black GD uniform and the way she looks out of it – "The Enforcer" and the lover. The way her frowns reach her eyes and the way her smiles reach his heart - the old Jo and the new Jo.

When she comes out on top, he doesn't mind. He is proud of her for never backing down in a fight, physical or verbal, and he likes the challenges she presents. No matter how hard he trains, how much he works out, she can still physically overpower him. And she does, every single time. They also bicker from time to time, and he rarely wins. Neither type of loss leaves him mad or feeling less like a man. They make him want to work toward becoming a better man.

When she is nearby, his heart races. He never has to see or hear her walk into a room because when his heart races, he knows she is nearby.

When his eyes are open, his thoughts drift to her. He often finds himself distracted from the task at hand (_any_ task at hand). It isn't so bad during the mundane events of his days, eating at Café Diem or driving home from work. It can be, however, dangerous when he is at GD handling highly dangerous devices.

When she touches him, his breath catches in his throat. The feel of her fingertips sends shivers down his spine, and the sensation of her body pressed against his as they sleep makes him feel secure and happy.

When he thinks about his life, he focuses on the future. He used to dwell on the past. He worked only for himself - and whatever establishment was holding him hostage. Now, _she_ fuels the fire within him, and he works to build a better life for the two of them, but most of all for her. He wants to experience the world with her, carry her over the threshold of their first home, see her belly grow with their children, make memories with her, grow old with her.

When Fargo told him about the other timeline and Other Zane, he didn't flinch. In fact, he wasn't all that surprised. He was surprised when Jo ran into the sheriff's office saying she'd marry him. He was surprised when she gave him his grandmother's ring back even though he didn't remember ever giving it to her. He was never surprised to discover that their relationship could be much more than the professional label of officer and criminal. Besides, her fancy high-tech handcuffs have its perks.

When other men flirt with her or undress her with their eyes, he gets jealous. (The kind of jealous that makes him want to rip out their tongues and eyes, not the kind of jealous he used to get when he couldn't meet the guys for drinks after work.) No one has those rights but him. He thinks she might get mad if he referred to her as _his_ girl, but he knows she is.

When Eureka is in danger, as it commonly is, his first instinct is to protect her. He panics if he doesn't know where she is or if she is all right. The pressure he experiences in these situations comes directly from his fear – his greatest fear - that something bad will happen to _her_. He would sacrifice himself to save her. He would even endure the matrix for the rest of his life if it meant she would remain safe and sound.

When he thought he'd lost her, he felt a part of himself die.


	2. Jo

**Ten reasons Jo Lupo knows she is in love with Zane Donovan:**

When she closes her eyes, she sees only him. The way he looks while making a scientific breakthrough and the way he looks when sleeping next to her – the kid in a candy store and the adult in a candy store. The way his mouth twitches when he makes a cruel remark and the way his eyes light up when she is around - the old Zane and the new Zane.

When she makes a decision, she considers him first. She used to act more impulsively and rarely struggled with right and wrong. Now, black-and-white has become different shades of gray. People deserve second chances. She knows this now. She considers things carefully and bases her decisions and actions on what she thinks will make _him_ proud. She can't stand the thought of disappointing him.

When he is nearby, her heart flutters. She becomes nervous and self-conscious and animated. All very foreign feelings as she has so long been stoic and unfeeling and unaffected by others. All of a sudden, her body reacts to his mere presence. She finds that she likes it.

When no one is around, she practices writing her name in different ways. It reminds her of the doodles middle school girls make in the margins of their notebooks. Now, she likes her name too much to give it up completely, but she wants to have something of her husband's one day. Jo Donovan, Jo Lupo-Donovan, Mrs. Jo Lupo-Donovan. Maybe she could convince him to take her name. Zane Lupo, Zane Donovan-Lupo, Mr. and Mrs. Zane Donovan. Hopefully, _he_ will ask her someday…again.

When he touches her, she loses all inhibitions. Her wicked side threatens to surface with a vengeance, and she comes dangerously close to stripping the clothes from his body and having her way with him…wherever they are.

When she thinks about her future, she dreams of things she never has before. She imagines herself wearing a white silk dress, holding a bouquet of pink lilies, walking toward him in a room filled with smiling faces. She sees children and wonders what theirs will look like. His and hers. She starts to think more about what that means - monogrammed towels, dividing the dresser drawers, holiday schedules with family.

When she returned from 1947 and the Zane she loved was gone, she felt beaten. In fact, she didn't understand what she could possibly have done that made her deserve this. Was it her hesitation when he proposed? Was she not a good enough lover? Was she not feminine enough? She had never been so defeated. She lost sleep, she couldn't eat, and GD wasn't nearly as exciting or satisfying as it once was.

When other women admire him, she gets angry…livid even. She wants to hold them by their throats in front of a mirror so they can watch as she rips out their hearts. No one has the right to admire his very…very…fit physique and his sparkling eyes but her. She never believed she would ever consider someone to be her property, but she knows that he belongs to her.

When Eureka is in danger, as it is from time to time, her first instinct is to protect him. She panics if she doesn't know where he is or if he is all right. She would sacrifice herself to save him. She would even endure his romance with Zoe if it meant he would be safe and happy. Her greatest fear is that he will be harmed.

When she thought she'd lost him, she felt a part of herself die.


End file.
